Pad printing
How pad printing works
The design is etched into a printing plate, the plate is flooded with ink and wiped, and a soft silicone pad presses onto it and picks the ink out of the etched recess. The pad then presses onto the product and releases the ink there.
Because the pad is flexible it deforms around whatever it lands on, which is the whole point of the method: it prints on curves, steps, recesses and small awkward shapes that a screen or a flatbed cannot sit against. Each colour is a separate plate and a separate pass, and the print area is small, usually a few centimetres across.
What pad printing suits
Pad printing is the standard for small hard items, and for anything where the branding surface is not flat. It holds crisp edges at small sizes, which matters when the whole mark is 40mm wide.
Products and materials it works on
- Pens, styluses and pencils
- Keyrings, USB drives and torches
- Golf balls and sports items
- Moulded plastic and coated metal parts
- Curved, stepped and recessed surfaces
Lead time, minimum quantity and artwork
- Lead time
- Confirmed with your quote, against stock and quantity
- Minimum quantity
- Depends on the product and the branding method
- Artwork
- Vector artwork (AI, EPS or PDF) in named spot colours, with the design simplified for a small print area. Fine detail and small type can fill in, because the ink spreads slightly as the pad releases it, so allow a little space between elements.
Other branding methods
Embroidery
Screen printing
Laser engraving
Sublimation
Digital printing
Debossing and foiling
Doming and badges
Vinyl heat transfer
Pen branding
Ask us to price your order
Add the products you want to a quote list, tell us the quantity and how you want them branded, and we come back with pricing. Nothing on this site carries a price because every job is costed on the product, the quantity and the decoration.